Mickey Straub thinks about the recent social media comments made by Blair Garber ridiculing East St. Louis as the “sh**hole of the universe” and is as grateful as he’s ever been for the up-close and personal time he’s had to interact with voters on his own.
“No one should ever talk about other towns like that just because there are others that are more prosperous,” Straub told the Will County Gazette after Garber was forced to step down from his post as Illinois Lottery Control Board chairman after news of his Twitter rant began to spread. "It’s not representative of the Republican Party as a whole, or the kind of administration I would led. Talking with people, I think they’ve come to understand that about me.”
Still, Straub, the Burr Ridge Republican who is running for the seat held by House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) in the 82nd District, admits he worries Garber's insensitivity could have consequences for the GOP given he was appointed to his position by Gov. Bruce Rauner and also serves as a member of the Republican State Central Committee.
“Stuff like that can lead to a greater erosion or credibility for the party,” he said.
In an effort to cut down on any confusion about his own campaign, Straub said he has launched the MickeyStraub.com website, which he hopes voters will use as a tool to learn more about him and his policies.
Beyond that, the Burr Ridge mayor said he’s doing all he can to meet and speak with as many voters as he can, recently scheduling a rally on the same day and in the same neighborhood as his opponent.
“We’re planning to run him out of town,” Straub said, noting that the event is scheduled to coincide with a celebration of the birthdays of former Republican Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan.
“That’s more of the kind of government we need to get back to,” he said.
The 82nd District includes Darien, Homer Glen, Lemont and Willowbrook.
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